Pour Habit: Got Your Back

Straight out of Compton is the punk rock/hardcore band Pour Habit. Following their breakthrough album, Suiticide, the band signed with the notorious punk label Fat Wreck Chords, which of course was founded by NOFX’s Fat Mike. After touring with Pepper and Fishbone on the Like A Surgeon Tour in 2010, the band decided to finally release their new disc. Originally set to be introduced in the summer of 2010, Got Your Back, just came out on April 12.

“Dead Soldier’s Bay” starts out the CD. If you didn’t know who this band was and heard this song on the radio, you would swear that it is Dexter Holland of The Offspring on vocals instead of Chuck Green. They really do sound a lot alike, though the music on this disc is a bit harder than The Offspring’s. The catchiest track, “Heads Of State,” contains quite an impressive guitar solo. The song “Matter Of Opinion” is very confusing. One minute, Green sings about hanging out on the beaches of San Diego, the next, he’s talking about the Holocaust and the fall of the Third Reich.

A strange twist occurs on “Head In The Clouds,” as it is a much slower song than the others. Leaving me speechless was “Party.” They go from being a hard rocking punk band to a flower-loving hippie band. The closing track, “Conscience Mind Of Revelation,” has a beat a little too much like that infuriating song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

The album isn’t a dud, however, it seems to be missing some continuity and direction, as a few songs are upbeat and punk while others are soft and a bit more emo. In addition, it feels like the drums and guitars are outpacing the vocals at times.